She says farmers told officers the hens looked old and past their prime, and one had to be euthanized.

Piper says everyone is still brooding over the question of where the chickens came from, trying to determine if they escaped or were dumped.

"We had the help of a local farmer in our area. Ryan Vantreight came up and helped, he owns a lot of the land around there. And he called all the local farmers and no one had any missing chickens," said Piper.

Large companies that handle chickens were also contacted and Piper said none were missing any birds, either.

Officials are hoping the owner comes forward, but the chickens could be adopted if that doesn't happen. (CFAX)